POETIC VOICES ACROSS THE
TIME : DICKINSON & ACOSTA
By Khalid Mohamed
ITRODUCTION
• Emily Dickinson (1830–1886): American poet known for introspective, lyrical poetry.
• Teresa Palomo Acosta (1942–2021): Chicana poet and activist focused on culture,
identity, and memory.
• This presentation explores how their work reflects personal, cultural, and historical
contexts.
THEMES AND MESSAGES –
DICKINSON
• Exploration of inner life: Death, immortality, nature, isolation
• Faith and doubt: Wrestling with religion and the unknown
• Individual consciousness: Inward reflection, personal identity
Example: “Because I could not stop for Death” — death as a
journey, not an end.
THEMES AND MESSAGES –
ACOSTA
• Cultural heritage: Celebrating Chicana identity and maternal lineage
• Labor and resilience: Honoring women’s strength through work and
sacrifice
• Memory and generational pride
Example: “My Mother Pieced Quilts” — memory stitched into fabric; family
history as art.
TONE AND STYLE – DICKINSON
• Tone: Reflective, enigmatic, sometimes somber or ironic
• Style:
• Unconventional punctuation and capitalization
• Short lines, slant rhyme
• Dense with abstract concepts
TONE AND STYLE – ACOSTA
• Tone: Reverent, nostalgic, vivid, empowering
• Style:
• Narrative and descriptive
• Free verse with natural flow
• Concrete imagery tied to cultural symbols
IMAGERY AND POETIC DEVICES –
DICKINSON
• Imagery: Nature, time, the soul, death personified
• Devices:
• Metaphor and paradox
• Slant rhyme
• Dashes and fragmented syntax
Example: “A Bird came down the Walk” — intense observation of
simple acts reveals deep truths.
IMAGERY AND POETIC DEVICES –
ACOSTA
•• Imagery: Quilts, hands, fabric, family settings
• Devices:
• Symbolism of quilts and stitching
• Repetition for emphasis
• Vivid, sensory descriptions
Example: “Like the cathedral’s dome…” — sacredness of maternal
labor.
CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL
INFLUENCES – DICKINSON
• 19th-century America, Amherst, Massachusetts
• Lived a reclusive life; limited publication in her time
• Influenced by Puritanical roots, Romanticism, and
Transcendentalism
• Wrote in isolation, focusing on universal themes
CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL
INFLUENCES – ACOSTA
• 20th-century Texas, Mexican-American experience
• Active during Chicano Movement
• Poetry as cultural preservation and resistance
• Wrote to honor often-overlooked women’s experiences
SIMILARITIES
• Strong female voices
• Focus on personal and universal themes
• Use of imagery to convey deeper meaning
• Poetry as a form of empowerment and reflection
DIFFERENCES
• Dickinson: Abstract, inward, individual-focused
• Acosta: Concrete, outward, community-focused
• Different historical and cultural contexts shaped their
style and content
CONCLUSION
• Though separated by time and culture, Dickinson and
Acosta both use poetry to explore identity, memory, and
meaning.
• Their distinct voices contribute to a richer, more diverse
poetic tradition.
WORKS CITED / REFERENCES
• Poems referenced:
• Dickinson: “Because I could not stop for Death,” “A Bird
came down the Walk”
• Acosta: “My Mother Pieced Quilts”
• Scholarly sources (add any you used)
• Biographical sources
